Juniper and other things that annoy me

As for the goings on in C-bus, we’re in pre-production on the Feb. shoot. I am just producing for an up and coming young female director. The first three months of 2009 are dedicated to the ladies as it were. I’m trying to help provide equipment, gear, post production facilities and networking to the oft overlooked female filmmaker of Central Ohio. We have a void where interesting women’s roles and stories should be. In March, I will direct a short for myself. It’s a legal drama thingy I’ve had in mind for a while. My dream cast is coming together, but I need a solid script first and that takes time. I am now a constant re-writer of this piece until I get it “right” if there is such a thing. Deadlines are helping to make things happen.





April-June will be preparation for the next feature(s). I have a new business model I’m going to try out. I have a 2 year plan for my filmmaking. From my initial feelers to investors and money types, the proposal looks favorable. It doesn’t hurt to have a movie on shelves at Blockbuster ™.



Also in our local film scene, for those keeping score, it looks like the Columbus IndieClub is fading away. For the January meetings, the MOFA (Mid Ohio Filmmakers Association) meeting had 27-29 people on a night when there was a weather advisory for snow and temperatures below Zero. A week later, at the all important “town hall” meeting for the future of IndieClub when the weather was fine, about 15 people show up. It’s all very sad. Actions speak much louder than words, and I think it’s abundantly clear what people prefer. They don’t like IndieClub and they do like MOFA.



The two groups can co-exist, but it’s all in the leadership. I agree with some people which is that when the current “leader” steps down from IndieClub, they should let the group stay away for a few months, and let the aura of the current leader wear away before starting over again fresh and new.



I recall sending an email on Sept 25th 2006 to the leadership of IndieClub outlining ways in which they can market the group for free, including the calendar listings of the free papers, the community message board on public access, etc. I even suggested the movie theater they currently meet at as the location in the same email. Ironically, the “leader” brags about all these things being HIS accomplishments, but all I can think is how poor a leader is that can’t honestly give credit where credit is due.



Back to more positive news, I just received even more good news for UNCLE PETE’S PLAY TIME from George on the West Coast. First, I have a big thing about text messages. I don’t really like them. I’ve told George this. He stopped, but then one Sunday night he texted me. I was mad, until I read what he wrote. He said that the applause and laughter Uncle Pete’s PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY just got will be worth the cost of this text message. George has been teaching at the Second City (again) and he was doing the Alumni shows. They wanted material to play between things and he generously (and fortuitously) offered Uncle Pete. Between the Improv Olympic (iO West) and now Second City, Uncle Pete has some good live exposure. Now George has brought additional news, but until I take the call on Monday or Tuesday, we’ll let the potential future of Uncle Pete on television remain somewhat vague. Suck on that haters.



Time to celebrate someone else’s birthday tonight.



Peace,

Ross

of

Rossdonia,

Land of the Spooning Weasels

Paris et l'amour de cinéma

I just watched a Blu-Ray of the film PARIS JE ‘TAIME, which is really a collection of shorts from a wide array of filmmakers from across the globe, not the least of which are the Cohen Brothers, Gus Van Zant, Alexander Payne, and Alfonso Cuarón. I was floored by the movie for various reasons.



Now I’ve been to Paris France 7 times in my life and each trip was profoundly different. I do love Paris as one of the greatest cities on Earth. On my first visit, I recall meeting a Canadian at the hostel and then proceeding to get drunk on cherry whine in the Latin Quarter with him and his friend, a local Parisian girl. Then there are some vague impressions of vomiting in the middle of the night and sleeping for over 16 hours, and no recollection of how I got to my room and why I still had my wallet.

My second visit had my fondest memory of being near the Eiffel Tower. It was about 2:00AM and I wondered up the long hill to the museum that overlooks the tower and tour buses were still dropping people off from Germany, the U.S., Australia, and more with an incredible carnival atmosphere that late at night with street vendors and musicians enjoying themselves like it was noon. I met people, frolicked and just swooned with the wave that everyone had in that moment. That was the strangest touristy moment I ever had, yet didn’t feel disingenuous for anyone there.

I have shot some Super 8 film in the city myself, but nothing substantial or meaningful. On the last trip I wanted to shoot something, no matter how apparently meaningless. Unfortunately, the Canon HV20 was not out yet and I really wished I had that camera then. To be able to shoot so much, especially in 24P high definition would have been amazing. Perhaps one day soon, I will return for my 8th trip to this city and make even a simple short film there.

Other films have been wonderful post cards to the city such as Richard Linklater’s sequel BEFORE SUNSET, Paris’ hometown hero Luc Besson’s LA FEMME NIKITA, and even the Lawrence Kasden comedy FRENCH KISS. I love each of those films if for no other reason than capturing a small essence of the city.



PARIS JE ‘TAIME is a collection of short films, each with varying styles, casts, and every short focuses on a different district, trying to evoke the flavor of the different parts of the city. American, European, Mexican, Spanish, and even Asian and African casts meld and merge in this amazing set of stories. Each director had 5 minutes to tell a story, from things a varied as a vampire story to love stories, to slices of life vignettes, and fantastical or simple. I recommend anyone interested in making short films watch this feature to get inspired by the elegance of the cinematography, the simplicity of the storytelling, yet with deep impacts. So much is said with so little dialogue, in English or French, and so much is visually told.



I couldn’t have watched this movie at a better time. I’m gearing up for a short shoot and stylistically, this film was right up my alley for the type of movies I’m about to make for the next 3-4 months. Things are prepping well. I want to expand what I’ve done and mature some as a filmmaker.



I give PARIS JE ‘TAIME a very high recommendation. Natalie Portman starring in Tom Tykwer’s segment, which means the film already had 2 stars in my book, rates a 5 star movie overall. If you make or want to make short films, this is a MUST SEE movie.

Adieu,
Pierre Jean Ross

IN THE TRENCHES OF AN INDIE FILM on DVD

The feature length documentary IN THE TRENCHES OF AN INDIE FILM is now for sale on AMAZON.COM for only $15.99

CLICK HERE TO BUY "In the Trenches of an Indie Film

This movie makes a great guide for first time filmmakers attempting to make a feature length project, covering pre-production to post production and the marketing and promotion of the a film.

Bonus features include tutorial videos on storyboards, make up FX, editing, and more.

Support truly independent movies! Especially ones I produce....

- Peter John Ross aka Sonnyboo

Rotating the Axle of Confabulation

As I start to get creative again, weird things happen. Without exception, as I embark on the making of a movie, ancillary side effects occur. When I first made my first “shorts”, I eventually got fired from my job. Today, I work in the same industry, so the two things go hand in hand. The differences are the people I meet and the worlds that collide from the creative/artistic world those that call “The Normies”, for normal people.

More on that later.

Here is an update from Rossdonia, not to be confused with the old place better known as Rossdom. Our new government with the feline races has much more equality, but we still deal with terrorism. “V”, has made our “Most Wanted” list for destroying the corner of a couch, and Cousette remains a rebel leader, but since she’s soon to be 13 years old, she’s much easier to catch. This is a close to being a parent as I think I am capable of. Because I love these critters, I might be sharing some of their personality online. I haven’t quite found the niche I want, but I have some idea now what I’ll do.



TECHIE UPDATE – If you read this blog, you know that last year I made the jump to HD-DVD just in time to get burned by its loss in the High Def video war against Sony’s BLU RAY. I eventually relented and got a Play Station 3 ™ and kept my HD-DVD’s. At some point last year I sold my PS3 and got a Samsung HD-DV/BLU-RAY combo player so I didn’t have to change out cables every time I switched between the 2 formats. I’ve been very happy with the combo player and it has allowed me to scoop up some sub $5 deals on HD-DVD discs or buy 6-7 disc sets for $15 (like HEROES season 1 and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA season 1).



The rain in paradise came from the latest Sony and Disney Blu-Rays. Part of this new technology that makes it great is the new formats, like the “TRUE HD AUDIO”. Unfortunately, that means that discs that have ONLY the TRUE HD audio means I can’t hear any of it on my surround sound. That is, unless I upgrade my surround sound to SONY’s exclusive DTS surround sound. There is nothing wrong with my surround sound package whatsoever, but in order to hear the full 5.1 surround mixes on the latest discs like BAND OF BROTHERS, FIREFLY, or WALL*E, I would have to buy an entirely new receiver.



Now for MORE rain in paradise (starting to get pretty moist in this place), all the new receivers use a “passive” subwoofer that takes a coaxial cable, not regular speaker cable. So I not only would have to buy a new receiver with Sony’s DTS, I’d have to buy a new subwoofer. What’s the point? I can get a full surround sound “package” that has all 6 speakers and a receiver for about the same price.
So I collected up my 5 Best Buy gift card from Xmas, and researched and found the right system for me. I didn’t want to upgrade to the full HDMI setup because I’d be spending too much money that I don’t have to spend, so I priced out an inexpensive PIONEER set, of which that company has been very good to me in the past. The plan is to donate my old surround sound to my father who has ALWAYS wanted one, but my mother would never allow it. We have plans to secretly install it when she is playing bridge this coming week. My pops has become quite a bit more like me since he retired.

Yesterday I had to drive to Grove City in south end of Columbus to get the last known surround sound kit within 100 miles of us that matched my price and requirements. There was still some “risk” in that my HD-DVD/BLU RAY combo player allegedly converts the TRUE HD AUDIO into a Sony DTS signal, but I read it on some guys review on Amazon.com, so it may not work. I did the latest “firmware” update where they put some software out there you can download it, burn it to a CD or DVD and put it in the player and it will upgrade the internal software of your player.



It worked. I setup the new surround sound system, used my old cables, replaced all the speakers with the new ones, and then hooked up everything. The bass and subwoofer shake the foundation of the Earth. Meanwhile, I had bought years ago the 5.1 surround mix DTS versions of 2 Sting CD’s (Brand New Day and Ten Summoners Tales), which are amazing in surround. I also played THE BEATLES – LOVE 5.1 surround audio CD. Still, the true test will always be a movie, so last night I jammed out some DTS surround of Band of Brothers in a battle scene and I probably tripled the wattage from my old surround. If the neighbors hated us before, they will learn the meaning of despise before February.

For the past 2 years, I have not been “in the mood” to watch many features at home. I occasionally would get through 1 movie in a weekend, and usually something I rented from Netflix. I have been stockpiling cheap Blu-Ray’s and HD-DVD’s without watching them, thinking “I’ll have time when the economy crashes” or the usual “someday” feel. The economy has crashed, but I still don’t have that much free time, but for the last month I’ve been carving out more time and watching more of my discs.



Two weeks ago, My Sexy Fiancé Veronica ™ and I delved into the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA remake HD-DVD set that had the entire miniseries and also the entire first season. She was hooked and for me it was round two, but I had not seen them in High Def, with full 5.1 surround sound. Now I have often said, and still believe, that I will only ever own season 1 because it was near perfection and none of the other seasons are as consistently at this quality. We went from the HD-DVD marathon to my pre-recorded versions of the rest of the series all the way to the half way point of season 4 that is about to start up again, but still… not as great as season 1, but still good. I feel similarly towards HEROES, but I don’t think the 2nd or 3rd seasons are anywhere close to the mark they had in the 1st. I feel no need to buy additional seasons of either show.

Saturday night I watched Clerks 2 on HD-DVD and IRON MAN on BLU-RAY. God, these look and sound great on my 42” 1080P TV and I can turn around and edit on that same monitor at 1920x1080 or play Wolfenstein Enemy Territory full screen and immerse myself completely in another world. Last night we watched the season premiere of 24 in full surround sound and in HD off a $5 antenna. All of these things were fantasies beyond science fiction when I was a kid.

Sometimes you have to look back and realize that we’re living in the future today.

The Guild and How they Got their Cashola

I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan. After recently getting the DVD of DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG, I finally discovered the web series THE GUTHE GUILD written and starring Felicia Day.



For their first "season" (albeit 10 3-5 minute long webisodes) they primarily existed on PayPal donations... which I thought was illegal, but I'll have to look into their exceptions and how they did it. Now SPRINT advertises for 6 seconds at the head of each video and they are making decent money on the DVD sales and other advertising.

Everyone wants to try to turn the microcinema, camcorder shooting into some kind of profitability. THE GUILD has succeeded in that regard, but it isn't just a fluke. Some forethought and marketing went into their success.



Now the two most significant things in their business model to me was the niche marketing of gamers, formerly D&D geeks/current World of Warcraft and Everquest fantasy online role players who have an unhealthy addiction to their gaming to escape reality. A specific marketing target with crossover appeal made a perfect genre that was otherwise not being addressed. How many TV shows focus on that group and mocks them with a tender and loving touch?

Far more importantly, the writing is stellar. Absolutely witty and sharp, Felicia Day's talent as a writer and the importance of good writing in the end result of a "good" product cannot be understated. She followed the indie film commandments of writing for what she has access to for free, a restaurant, some apartments, a house, etc.; nothing too extravagant. In the current season 2 episodes, there are dolly shots and some obviously higher production values, but still looks almost the same. Filmmakers overlook that “normies” aka normal people don't really give a shiite about the slightly off lighting or framing in the earlier episodes of THE GUILD because they cared about the characters and situation.



I like THE GUILD series a lot. It was no accident, nor was it the luck of the draw that got this web series to be fiscally viable and very popular. The combination of niche marketing and sincerity in writing that made this a success on many levels.

CLICK HERE to watch THE GUILD